Sometimes

Sometimes there is a great grace in coming to the keyboard and writing to reflect and ponder on the things. The keyboard isn’t quite as effective as writing with pen on paper as there is the mind/body connection that gives us access to our actual thoughts. One thing I like seeing is the places revealed by what I didn’t know I was thinking. Kind of like in-person conversations allow the opportunity, when I’m ready, to see something with greater clarity. Reading with a book in my hand rather than a screen helps guide and form thoughts which lead to other thoughts – which helps me take thoughts in the direction of God and exercises the intellect in a way that encourages growth and steadiness rather than brooding or rumination. Reading and writing and in-person conversation feed my soul and deepen my relationship with the one who loves me.

Sometimes.

Sometimes I look around me and wonder how did it end up looking like this. For context I sent this, and the next image to a friend to show her what the sewing table looks like right now. I knew mine had to look way fuller and more (seemingly) chaotic. While it looks really messy and full of stuff each of the things are necessary to the work I’m doing right now, which is free-motion quilting a 60″ x 60″ quilt. (Side note I love how quilt is a noun and a verb all in the same sentence!)
Each thing on the sewing desk, then, has a purpose.
First let’s start with the icon of the Trinity, it is here as a reminder to bring my work, all of my work from prayer to choosing patterns, cutting, piecing and the decorative stitching to the Trinity. Also here are some of the “tools for quilting and teaching. There are the literal tools: needles, thread, scissors, stiletto, seam ripper, needle catchers, tool holders, holder for the phone while I’m teaching. Then there are the pretty and useful things like the Word of the year quilt that needs a little more quilting before binding and hanging. The desire is to hang it in the open space between the tile and the fabric shelves.

Let’s move to the space near/under the machine bed. Okay so, my machine was making some odd noises so I’d taken the whole area apart to clean and oil it. I found some thread caught in the bobbin area, which is never good and can cause what looks like tension issues and other problems. There is always at least one pair of scissors, the needle & thread holder. Here there’s also binding for this quilt. The case holds the rotary cutter, and there’s the earphones. There’s a lot of thread because, well, I’m actually in the quilting phase. Then there’s the bin that holds pins. What you can’t see is a couple of journals. One I just realized I can use as the quilting journal/note keeper I’ve been seeking for my work and the other needs to be stored. Then there’s the movies I watch whilst quilting.

As I write here this morning I realized that because I was in the midst of cleaning the machine it looks messier than what it really is. Also I’m always surprised at the amount of little things one can store in a small space.

While this looks like a lot, and it is, there’s also the concept of how much can we get into a day and where is the creative rest we are seeking? I’m also sitting here looking at this now and realize it definitely looks worse than it is. Which both cracks me up and gives me pause to spend a little bit of time putting some stuff back where it belongs and looking at the space to utilize it better. And as I write those words I realized something, I’m in the middle of a Big Project times three and this is the necessarily messy part where things seem so out of hand and wild and weird and disorganized. This is okay. Before I start working later there will be somethings tidied up.

Side note: I love this quilt, the narrow red border, the deep purple, the work on the choosing just the right split complement combination and then stitching together the variations of that combo. Keeping it all in order.

Sometimes. Sometimes the writing stills as I pray and think about things. Sometimes the writing still as I am about other work that requires not only my spiritual/emotional presence but also my physical presence. Thank you for hanging with me through the frequency of writing these days. May the Lord bless you with many graces and consolations. Teri